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Encrimsoned

June 03, 2008

Crimson is a word, a color, that figures prominently in the Christian faith. The Bible teaches that each of us is born into this world encrimsoned, covered with the blood required of those who sin against God. And without further blood, further encrimsoning, there can be no remission of this sin. Blood cries for blood and that Scripture is clear that every person will die encrimsoned in either their own blood or the blood of a divine substitute.

In a thin volume published by Christ Church of the Carolinas, author deTreville Bowers writes about the importance of living an “encrimsoned” life—one marked by faith in Christ and by continued dependence upon Him. With a clear dependence upon the Scriptures and upon the writings of the Puritans, the book encourages Christians in the transformation from people marked by their own blood to people marked by the blood of Christ. It encourages the kind of abandonment to God and to His purposes that is so foreign to the unregenerate man and to the world around. It reassures that the natural man, though encrimsoned from birth, can be washed whiter than snow by the blood of Jesus. Only crimson can remove crimson, leaving pure white.

Here are a few choice quotes from the book.

“God’s perfect will is never to give His children the positions, possessions or pleasures that will result in their harm. Oftentimes, His children accrue to themselves associations, involvements and pursuits that bring them harm—they desire God’s permissive will rather than His perfect will, and God gives them over to themselves in that regard.”

“You cannot be wholly integrated when the remnants of your lusts stiff-arm God. God will never call upon you to surrender an ambition you do not have! No one can be abandoned to God as long as he holds the one ambition God is calling him to surrender.”

“Satan drives—the Holy Spirit leads. Satan will ferry you to the pinnacle while the Holy Spirit escorts you to humility. Satan leads you into indulgence, whereas God’s Spirit leads you into abstinence. Satan exalts you in order to tear you down, but the Holy Spirit reveals your weaknesses in order to build you up in Christ.”

“Everyone either sails into God’s holy presence upon the sea of Christ’s blood, or they shall surely continually drown in hell in the flooding baptism of their own blood.”

“The process of your becoming conformed to the image of God’s Son is held hostage by your unwillingness to surrender your will to Him. Your will suspects the unfolding of God’s ministry of righteousness in your life.”

Encrimsoned is a small and attractively-produced hardbound volume available from Christ Church of the Carolinas. They say “The writings have a fee associated with them but if you can not afford the fee, please advise and we will gladly send it you to et gratis.” You can contact the church to ask for further details.

About Tim Challies

I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, and am a co-founder of Cruciform Press.